Iran: A ticking time bomb?

Diplomatic distress over Iran’s nuclear program is reaching a fever pitch.

The latest escalation began when the UN’s nuclear watchdog announced that its mission in Iran had failed. The regime was unwilling to offer full access to its nuclear sites so inspectors could determine whether Iran is really trying to develop nuclear weapons.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated this month that Israel will engage in a pre-emptive military strike as soon as it believes Iran has the capability to build a nuclear weapon.

Last week, Netanyahu came to the White House, where President Obama urged him to give diplomacy and economic sanctions a chance to work before resorting to military action. However, Obama also made it clear that the military option remains “on the table. Host David Reed spoke to two veteran journalists about their perspective, and had them share the viewpoints of people living in Iran and Israel -- from the leaders to the ordinary citizens.

Golnaz Esfandiari is from Iran and for many years was the chief editor of Radio Farda, Radio Free Europe’s Persian language service. Esfandiari is now a Senior Correspondent for RFE and editor of the Persian Letters blog.

Jay Bushinsky has been reporting from Israel for more than 40 years. Bushinsky is the Israeli Foreign Correspondent for WBBM and writes for the Jerusalem Post.